Machine for filling needles.



N. A. NELSON. MACHINE FOR FILLING NEEDLES. APPLICATION FILED FEB.4.1916.

Patentd May 30,1916.

Nays Ammsow NELS A. NELSON, OF NORTH MANITOU ISLAND, MICHIGAN.

MACHINE FOR FILLING NEEDLES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 30, 1916.

Application filed February 4, 1916. Serial No. 76,079.

To all whom 716 may concern Be it known that I, NELS A. NELSON, a

citizen of the United States, residing at North Manitou Island, in the county of Leelanau, State of Michigan, have invented a new and useful Machine for Filling Needles; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The present invention relates to a machine for filling needles of that type which are commonly employed for the mending of fish nets, the thread being wrapped back and forth around the notched rear end of the needle and alternately wrapped in opposite directions around a finger at the pointed end of the needle.

Among the objects of the invention is to provide a device of this character which is comparatively simple and inexpensive in its construction, which is not liable to get out of repair, which can be easily operated, and which will enable a large number of needles to be quickly filled or wrapped with thread.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in certain novel combinations and arrangements of the parts as will more fully appear as the description proceeds, the novel features thereof being pointed out in the appended claims.

For a full understanding of the invention, reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of a needle filling machine constructed in accordance with the invention, the parts appearing in the position assumed as the needle is completing a revolution and just before the plunger of the guide needle has been released and permitted to spring upwardly. Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the position assumed by the parts after the needle has completed its revolution and the plunger of theguide needle has been released and permitted to spring upwardly. Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the device with the needle removed. Fig. 4 is a plan view of the needle and stop finger, showing the pointed end of the needle as flexed laterallyin one direction by engagement with the stop finger, and Fig. 5 is a similar view showing the pointed end of the needle as flexed laterally in the opposite direction by engagement with the opposite side of the stop finger.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the drawing by the same reference characters.

' Referring to the drawings, the reference character 1 designates the base upon which the supporting frame 2 is mounted. A vertical shaft 3 is journaled upon the frame provided with a cam member 4 secured thereto by means of a. set screw 5, while the upper end of the shaft is provided with a clamp 6 adapted to receive and support the needle 7 which is to be filled with thread. Fitted upon the shaft 3 at an intermediate point in the length thereof is a pinion 7 which meshes with a segmental rack 8 at one end of a lever 9, said lever being pivotally mounted upon the frame 2 at an intermediate point in its length, as indicated at 10, and the free end thereof being provided with a handle 11. By swinging the lever back and forth the shaft 3 can be alternately rotated in opposite directions and a keeper 12 which receives the operating lever 9 provides stops for limiting the movement thereof, the parts bearing such a relation to each other that as the lever is reciprocated back and forth the shaft 3 is alternately rotated one complete revolution in opposite directions. The needle 7 is of the well-known and conventional type, the rear end of the needle being notched at 13, while the pointed end 14 of the needle is formed with an opening 15 within which a forwardly extending finger 16 projects. This finger 16 is normally disposed inthe plane of the needle 7 so as to be shielded by the'pointed end thereof although when the pointed end of the needle is flexed laterally in either direction, as indicated by Figs. 4 and 5, the end of the finger 16 isexposed in such a manner that the thread 17 can be readily wrapped around the same. In filling the needle the thread 17 is wound back and forth around the rear notch 13 of the needle and wrapped alternately in opposite directions around the finger 16 at the pointed end of the needle. The thread is ordinarily applied to the needles by hand, although this is a tedious and time consuming occupation, since a large number of needles are frequently used in the course of a single days work.

A stop finger 18 projects upwardly from one end of the frame 2 into the path of the pointed end 14: of the needle, said stop finger being of an appreciable width and being arranged to engage and flex the pointed end 14; of the needle when the needle completes its back and forth revolutions in opposite directions. hen the pointed end of the needle is thus flexed, as indicated by Figs. 1 and 5, the end of the finger 16 is exposed in such a manner that the thread can be readily wrapped around the same in the necessary manner.

Slidably mounted upon the frame 2 adj acent the stop finger 18 is a vertically movable plunger 19, said plunger being provided at the upper end thereof with a guide needle 20, and having a shoulder 21 at the base of the guide needle. The thread 17 passes through an eye in the guide needle 20 as it is wound upon the needle 7 and may also,

I if desired, pass through a guide opening 22 in the stop finger 18. The lower end of the plunger 19 is pivotally connected toone end 5 of a lever 23, said lever being pivotally mounted at an intermediate point, as indicated at 24, upon a short standard 25, and

' the opposite end of the lever being engaged by the cam 41 at the lower end of the vertical shaft 3. A spring 26 acts upon the plunger 19 through the medium of the lever 28 and I normally tends to force the plunger upwardly so that the eye of the guide needle 20 is above the finger 16 of the needle. How- 5 ever, a horizontal swinging detent 27 is provided for engagement with the shoulder 21 l of the plunger to hold the plunger in a lowered position against the action of the spring 26, as indicated by Fig. 1. This detent 27 a0 is pivotally mounted upon a suitable stand ard 28, and is adapted to swing laterally in either direction for disengagement from the shoulder 21 of the plunger. A spring strip 29 engages the detent and normally tends to swing it into operative position, so that as soon as the plunger 19 is forcibly lowered by the action of the cam 4 upon the lever 23 the detent will swing over the shoulder 21 and lock the plunger in alowered position.

A trip finger 30 upon the needle engaging clamp 6 is provided for engaging the detent 27 and swinging the same into inoperative position at the end of each oscillation of the needle, and at that time the pointed end of the needle is flexed so that the thread will be wrapped around the finger 16 of the needle when the plunger 19 springs upwardly. In Fig. 1 the needle 7 is shown as approaching the end of one of its oscilla-- tions, the thread 17 having been wound around the notched rear end 13 of the needle and the plunger 19 being still locked in a lowered position by the detent 27. A very slight further movement completes the oscil- 7 e5 lation of the needle, the pointed end 14 of the needle being then flexed laterally by engagement with the stop finger 18, as indicated by Fig. 4. At this moment the trip finger 30 moves the detent 27 out of engagement with the shoulder 21 and releases the 7G plunger 19 which is forced upwardly by the, action of the spring 28. The thread 17 is then drawn upwardly around the end of the finger 16 of the needle, so that it will be wrapped around the said finger when the needle is swung backwardly on its oscillation in the opposite direction. During this opposite oscillation of the needle the cam a willact upon the lever 23 to move the plunger 19 downwardly until it assumes its original position and the detent 27 springs over the shoulder 21. When the needle reaches the end of its oscillation in the opposite direction, the pointed end 14: thereof will again be flexed laterally, although in 5 the opposite direction, as indicated by Fig.

5, and the trip finger 30 will again move the detent 27 into inoperative position and release the plunger 19. t will thus be obvious that as the needle is oscillated back 99 and forth by manipulating the operating lever 9 the thread is applied to the same in the proper manner, and by the use of this mechanism the needles can be filled with much greater rapidity than is possible by hand.

Owing to the rapid oscillation of the nee die 7 it is necessary to provide means for holding the cord 17 under tension as it is supplied to the needle to prevent tangling 100 and snarling thereof. For this purpose a bearing lug 31 is shown as applied to the outside of the stop finger 18 immediately below the guide opening 22 therein, so that the cord passes over the bearing lug as it is threaded through the opening22, and a tension spring 32 is shown as having one end thereof secured to the stop finger, the 0pposite end of the said spring being adapted to bear against the cord 17 and force the same against the bearing block 31 so as to create a tension in the cord. A thumb screw 33 is shown as engaging the spring at an intermediate point in its length to regulate the tension in the spring 32. With this arrangement it will be seen that the cord 17 will always be held under tension, and therefore cannot become snarled or tangled as it is wrapped upon the needle 7.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A needle filling machine of the character described, including a shaft, needle engaging means on the shaft, means for alternately oscillating the shaft in opposite directions, a guide member for directing thread around the base of the needle as it oscillates, means for flexing the point of the needle and exposing the finger thereof at the end of each oscillation, and means for ,pnoving the guide member at the end of each oscillation to draw the thread around the exposed end of the needle finger.

2. A needle filling machine of the character described, including a shaft, needle engaging means on the shaft, means for alternately oscillating the shaft in opposite directions, a guide member for directing thread around the base of the needle as it is oscillated back and forth, a spring actuated plunger carrying the guide member, means for posing the end of the finger thereof at the end of each oscillation, and trip means for releasing the plunger and moving the guide member to direct the thread around the exposed end of the needle finger at the end of each oscillation.

3. A needle filling machine of the character described, including a shaft, needle engaging means on the shaft, means for alternately oscillating the shaft in opposite directions, a guide member for directing thread around the base of the needle as it is oscillated back and forth, a stop finger engaging and flexing the pointed end of the needle to expose the finger of the needle at the end of each oscillation, a spring actuated plunger carrying the before mentioned guide member, means actuated by the shaft for retracting the plunger, a detent for holding the plunger in a retracted position, and trip means for automatically releasing the detent at the end of each oscillation, the ide member being then moved to draw the thread around the exposed finger of the needle. 4

4,. A needle filling machine of the character described, including a shaft, needle engaging means upon the shaft, means for oscillating the shaft back and forth, a guide member for directing thread around the base of the needle as it is oscillated back and forth, a stop finger projecting into the path of the needle for flexing the point thereof and exposing the needle finger at copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the flexing the point of the needle and exger when the needle reaches the the end of each oscillation, a spring actuated the end of each oscillation of the needle, the

guide member being thereby moved to carry the thread around the exposed finger of the needle.

5. A needle filling machine of the character described, including a shaft, a needle engaging clamp upon the end of the shaft, means for alternately oscillating the shaft in opposite directions, a guide member for directing thread around the base of the needle as it is oscillated back and forth, a stop finger projecting into the path of the needle and engaging the pointed end thereof to fiex the same and expose the finger of the needle at the end of each oscillation, a spring actuated plunger carrying the before mentioned guide member, a cam upon the shaft, a ladder pivotally mounted at an in termediate point in its length and having one end thereof loosely connected to the plunger while the opposite end thereof is in engagement with the cam, a detent for engagement with the plunger to hold it in a retracted position, said detent being mounted to swing laterally in either direction, and a trip finger on the needle engaging clamp for automatically swinging the detent into inoperative position and releasing the plunend of each oscillation, the guide member being thereby moved to carry the thread around the exposed finger of the needle.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

NELS A. NELSON.

Witnesses:

MARTIN TELGARD, R. W. JOHNSON.

"Commissioner 0! Patents,

Washington, D. 0. 

